


What They Tell Him

by katikat



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 16:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12729954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katikat/pseuds/katikat
Summary: A missing scene from ep 101. They tell Bozer that it was an accident. It’s a lie, of course. What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him, though… Bozer’s POV. (Unbeta'd)





	What They Tell Him

Bozer’s about to hit the sack - he’s really not in the mood to work on his alien epic today, not after the shift he’s had (pox on all rude customers!) - when his phone rings. Annoyed, he checks the caller ID and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise: it’s Jack Dalton, Mac’s think tank buddy.

“What’s up, Jack?” Bozer asks.

There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and when Jack finally speaks, his voice’s a little hoarse. “Hey, Bozer. I’m calling because…” He clears his throat. “There’s been an accident.”

Slowly, Bozer sits down. “An accident?” he whispers, his voice thick. “What kind of an accident? Is Mac-is he  _alright_?”

Another pause and a long, shuddery exhale. “Yeah, yeah, Mac’s pretty banged up, but he’ll live. But… Nikki’s dead, Boze. Nikki died.”

Bozer squeezes his eyes shut. No. Not Nikki. Not  _Mac’s_ Nikki. Bozer likes -  _liked!_  - the girl well enough but Mac, God, Mac loved her like he hasn’t loved anyone in a very, very long time.  _Jesus, no._

“Where exactly are you?” Bozer asks because, as he now realizes, he doesn’t actually know. “I’ll take a couple of days off at work and I’ll come to you. Mac will need–”

“No, Boze,” Jack interrupts him. “You don’t need to come. They wouldn’t let you in to see him anyway. Only family’s allowed in the ICU and–”

“The  _ICU_?!” Bozer exclaims, shocked, and jumps to his feet. “You said that Mac was ‘banged up,’ not that he was in the frickin’  _ICU_!”

“Bozer,  _Boze_ , calm down,” Jack tries to placate him. “He’ll be  _fine_ , the doctors promised he would be. But it’ll take some time. He’ll be here for a while. I swear I’ll call you every day and as soon as he’s well enough, I’ll tell  _him_ to call you. I  _swear_ , Boze.”

“But I want to  _be_ there for him,” Bozer protests, rubbing his forehead frantically. He’s scared,  _really_ scared, because his best friend’s  _hurt_ , he’s in the ICU who-knows-where, and Nikki’s dead and Bozer can’t  _do_ anything!

“You will be,” Jack says kindly and quietly. “When he comes home, he’ll need you more than ever, believe me.”

* * *

It takes Mac three weeks to get well enough to be able to travel and go home. Three weeks during which Bozer talks to him exactly once on the phone and even that call lasts only a minute or so, just a few words, but they tell Bozer exactly how devastated his friend is.  _Dammit!_

The moment Bozer hears the car, Jack’s prized, beloved car, rumble to a stop in front of the house, he throws the door open and watches anxiously as Jack gets out and walks over to the passenger’s side to help Mac out.

And Mac does need help, that’s pretty obvious. He looks pale and haggard, his face is scraped and his left arm is in a sling and Jack has to almost lift him out of his seat. He props Mac up while he closes the door and murmurs something to him; a question because Mac shakes his head in response.

Then, Mac straightens up carefully and under his own power, he shuffles towards the house while Jack frowns after him for a second before he goes to pull Mac’s bags out of the trunk. Meanwhile, Bozer walks out to meet Mac. He doesn’t want to crowd his friend but he also doesn’t want to see him stumble; Mac looks truly terrible.

“Hey,” Bozer greets him softly.

“Hey,” Mac responds with a pale smile.

“I really want to hug you right now,” Bozer admits a little tearfully, “but I don’t want to hurt you even more.”

Instead of replying, Mac steps forward and wraps his good arm around Bozer. And Bozer… Bozer just folds his arms around his friend gently, not squeezing, just holding him lightly.

“I’m so,  _so_  sorry, man,” Bozer whispers into Mac’s shoulder. “So sorry.”

Mac’s breath hitches and Bozer can feel him shiver. “Thanks,” he says quietly before stepping back. His smile’s gone now and his eyes look a little red.

In that moment, Jack arrives with Mac’s bags and nods at the house. “Come on, buddy. You should lie down.”

They walk inside and Jack drops the bags by the door, then he guides Mac to his bedroom where he helps him undress. Bozer’s trailing after them, feeling a bit like the proverbial fifth wheel because Jack seems to have it all covered; it’s obvious he isn’t doing this for the first time, taking care of Mac, since in no time he has Mac settled in bed. Then, sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he hands Mac a glass of water and a couple of pills.

Mac frowns in protest. “Jack…”

“Take them,” Jack urges him firmly. “It’s been a long flight and I know you must be hurting something fierce. It’ll help with the pain and let you sleep. Come on.”

Sighing, Mac washes the pills down and Jack sets the glass down on the nightstand. “Thanks,” Mac tells him quietly. “For  _everything_.”

“Yeah, well,” Jack replies just as softly and drops his eyes, “I wish I could’ve done more.”

Mac shakes his head. “You saved my life,” he reminds Jack.

But Jack tightens his jaw. “I wish I could’ve saved Nikki’s, too.”

This seems like a private conversation, and though Bozer wonders what they’re talking about, he doesn’t want to intrude. He backs out of the room and heads for the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

Soon enough, Jack walks out of Mac’s bedroom and shuts the door softly. He stands there for a moment, eyes closed and jaw tight, before he takes a deep breath and follows Bozer into the kitchen.

“Coffee?” Bozer offers.

Jack nods. “Thanks.”

“Will you finally tell me what the hell happened?” Bozer asks quietly when he hands Jack a mug.

Sighing, Jack stares at the dark brew for a while, then he looks up. “It was a car accident. We were driving down the coast, you know, just a little trip after work. Nikki was at the wheel and I was sitting in the back, you know, the third wheel to our lovebirds, when the tire blew. The car went into a tailspin and slid over the edge of the cliff where it got caught in the trees there.”

Bozer’s eyes widen. “ _Jesus_ …”

“Yeah,” Jack says, taking a sip. “I got out almost unscathed; just a bump on the head. Mac… well, he got impaled on a broken branch,” he explains, tapping the left side of his chest. “He was lucky it didn’t catch him in the heart. And Nikki–” He breaks off.

“Nikki?” Bozer prompts.

Jack swallows. “She fell out. They still didn’t find her body, Boze.”

“What?” he asks in disbelief.

“Something about sea currents or undercurrents or I don’t know what.” Jack shakes his head. “They’re not sure if they’ll ever find her.”

“Oh my God,” Bozer whispers, shocked.

Jack sighs. “It’s  _that_ more than anything else what’s really killing Mac. Logically, he knows Nikki must be dead, there’s no way she could’ve survived the fall, but since there’s no body…”

Bozer can’t even imagine how Mac must feel right now. “What can I do?” he asks.

“Just make sure he doesn’t overdo it in the next few days? And that he actually eats something and takes his meds? He’s been stubborn about that,” Jack says with a little unhappy twist of his mouth.

“Okay, I can do that,” Bozer promises, nodding.

“I need to go and talk to Thornton,” Jack continues. “Then I’ll be headed home. But should you or he need anything, just call me, alright? Day or night, I’ll pick up, I’ll come. I hate leaving him but–”

“Jack, he won’t be alone,” Bozer assures him. “I’ll be here, don’t worry.”

Nodding gratefully, Jack smiles a little. “Thanks.”

And Bozer means it. He will be here for Mac, every step of the way, just as Mac’s always been there for him. He’ll help Mac through this, he swears to himself, no matter what. That’s what best friends are for, after all.


End file.
